Based on the first issue–and maybe even the first half of this issue–I wasn’t expecting much, but Gaiman writes a darn good comic here.

After wrapping up the last issue’s cliffhanger and giving Lex Luthor some unlikely page time, he sets Black Orchid and a younger Black Orchid off into the world. For a while it seems like the strange adventure of two clones. Gaiman’s only moderately successful with it–he gets better as he goes along.

But then the issue becomes more traditional superhero. Batman pops in (not particularly good writing on him though), Black Orchid goes to Arkham. There’s a lot of good cameos; it’s odd Gaiman’s weak on Batman, as he’s so good on his villains.

McKean gets all sorts of wonderful, daylight and twilight things to paint. The flying scenes are truly magnificent.

Black Orchid really comes together. Again, its successes are quite surprising.

CREDITS

Going Down…; writer, Neil Gaiman; painter, Dave McKean; letterer, Todd Klein; editor, Karen Berger; publisher, DC Comics.